Newport News, VA Homes For Rent

Homes for Rent in Newport News, VA: What You Need to Know

Newport News is located on the north shore of James River in southeastern Virginia. It’s perhaps the only city in the world named after a piece of good news. 

The Local History

The story of Newport News dates back to the first permanent English settlement in America. The city got its name from Christopher Newport, captain of the Susan Constant, the largest of the ships that carried English colonists to Jamestown in 1607. Capt. Newport traveled back to England a few times. During the Starving Time in 1610, the colonists were leaving Jamestown for good when they encountered Newport along the river. He told them the good news that reinforcements of men and supplies had arrived, prompting their return to Jamestown. They called the place where they met the captain “Newport's News,” eventually becoming Newport News.

Things to Do in Newport News

The Mariners' Museum and Park features 210 tons of artifacts from the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor. Explore the 550-acre park, which has a lake and a five-mile shoreline trail. The museum houses more than 32,000 objects and several million archive materials. Newport News offers some of the best fishing in Coastal Virginia. The city has seven public boat ramps and three marinas, making it easy to go out to the Chesapeake Bay or a freshwater lake or reservoir. You can get a Virginia fishing license through most retail shops.

Local Job Opportunities

Newport News (population: 179,225) is one of the cities comprising the Hampton Roads region. The Tech Center in Newport News, more than 1 million square feet of office, retail, and research space, has attracted organizations such as Jefferson Lab, one of the city’s top companies. Other key employers are Huntington Ingalls Industries, Riverside Health System, Canon Virginia, and Army & Air Force Exchange Service.

The Cost of Living

In Newport News, you’ll be able to stretch your budget. Its cost of living rate, food, and housing costs are 1.5%, 21.9%, and 4.2% lower than the national average respectively. The median gross rent is $1,008. Retirees love Virginia because it doesn’t tax Social Security benefits. The state collects 2% to 5.75% in state income tax and 5.3% to 7% in sales tax.

Know Your Neighborhoods

Newport News is an independent city, meaning it doesn’t belong to a county. Residents like the easy access to James River and other Hampton Roads cities, although crossing bridges and tunnels can mean congested traffic. Nearby Hampton, another independent city, offers many housing options, from downtown apartments to beachfront condos. Carrollton, a Hampton suburb, is known for its good schools.